so are we going to talk about spinach?

17 years ago

Just wondering what feedback you are getting at the farmers martket regurading spinach. I sold spring mix and Arugula. Spring mix sold just as expected. Many people mistook my arugula for spinach, and frankly I felt I got a 5 hour lecture sat. but in 30 second bites. I just explained that it could have happened to any fruit or veggie, and smiled. My body was feeling a little run down and I wasn't up to educating the public.

Last week I had VERY FEW comments about spinach and e. coli, and this week a non stop lecture. But we had more people at market this week b/c of a festival.

I've got 400 feet of spinach still 2-3 weeks away from market. I thought about tilling it under, but decided to keep it.

so how are you dealing with it?

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Comments (3)

windfarm
17 years ago
I'm feeling pretty fortunate that I planted a bunch of fall spinach this year. I've got spinach going now that is ~2 weeks away from being a nice big marketable size for bunched spinach. There is no spinach to be found in the town where I live(many grocery options). I'll be the only game in town and know that many people are craving spinach because they can't get it anywhere.
Tell your customers that the problem has nothing to do with spinach. It's only about a producer negligance, sloppiness, carelessness, etc. It could have happened to (and does) to any fresh or prepared product.
Reassure your customers. The contaminated spinach came from california or new mexico. Your customers should feel fortunate to have a locally grown option. Assure your customers that your spinach is not contaminated with e. coli carrying fecal matter.
Essentially, know more than your customers, so that you can assuage their spinach fear...
digit
17 years ago
We had just a little spinach for the market on Saturday. We were all prepared to state that it was local and NOT from CA. I also felt I could say something about only using manure in compost or applying after the growing season. (My practice for many years.)

The only comment that I heard was, "I haven't had any for 2 weeks!"

Lettuce, bok choi and arugula went fast but then so did the spinach.

Steve
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barrie2m_(6a, central PA)
17 years ago
Too bad that Spinach took the rap this month. Next month it could be radishes or green onions (again). But food born pathogens are everywhere we look. Sooner or later produce will need to be classified by both nutritional value and risk rating. Leafy greens that are picked and packed by migrant laborers, then shipped in unsanitary trucks to supermarket warehouses will always be high risk foods if eaten raw, especially to young children and those with compromized immune systems.

The irony of the situation is that many of you gardeners have mulched your leafy greens for years with raw animal manure and maybe worse and you never got deathly sick. But you need to be cautious too when Aunt Mabbel or Cousin Lucy's young kids come for a meal that YOU don't feed them a BUG that they can't handle. It is much like the fad of eating raw eggs or rare hamburgers. We all need to adjust.